After a surprisingly thorough interrogation about Ranma's 'future past', along with what it was like being an angel. Ranma had never been happier to escape to the kitchen to do the evening's dishes, with Kasumi's help of course. Then there had been all the questions Ranma couldn't answer at all, like what was heaven like, could he visit there, could he talk to Kami-sama, and the like. How he had gotten through all of those question intact, Ranma still didn't know, but doing dishes had never been a more welcome task than it was right now.
At least it got him away from the heartbroken expressions of Akane and Mr. Tendo. The both of them had nearly broken down crying when they realized they'd annoyed him by asking so many tough questions. Ranma honestly didn't know which was worse though, the questions, or the family's attempts at making it up t him. He'd actually been lucky that they even allowed him to do the dishes for them. If they hadn't, the only other thing Ranma could have done was hide in his old room and hope they'd give him some time to himself.
"I guess being a brand-new angel must be hard, then. Are you on some kind of trial period or something? I mean it's awfully strange that they didn't tell you anything about being an angel before sending you here, Ranma," Kasumi commented as she dried and put away the dishes. She knew where they went after all, and Ranma didn't.
Ranma wanted to curse at the girl's choice of topic, but couldn't bring himself to do so around Kasumi. "Er, yeah . . . . Although I guess you could say that I got the job more by accident than intentionally. Sometimes I just don't think I'm very popular up there, you know. I mean I always tried to be a good person, but bad stuff seemed to happen to me all the time anyway. For example, you wouldn't believe how upset I got the first time I turned into a girl. I was supposed to be growing up to be 'man among men' after all," Ranma told her, lamenting his situation.
Kasumi gasped in surprise at the half hearted complaint. "Oh my, that would make it a bit unpleasant, wouldn't it? You turning into a girl angle I mean. So can all angel's change their gender like that, or do you know?" she asked him, nearly forgetting that Ranma didn't know much about being an angel, let alone about other angels.
Ranma shrugged at question. "I've got no idea really, but I kinda doubt it. In my case at least, I change genders with hot and cold water thanks to a magic curse I picked up with my pop almost a year ago, before I got sent back in time, I mean. Pops got one too, but he turns into a giant panda instead of a girl like I do. To be honest with you, Kasumi-chan, I was only just starting to get used to the curse when all this other weird stuff happened to me. But that's a pretty long story, so I'll have to tell you all about it some other time, alright?" he told her truthfully, putting a few more dishes in the drainer as he spoke.
Kasumi looked disappointed at the delay, but she didn't argue the point any. "Okay . . ." she replied, making her disappointment clear despite her lack of complaint. It seemed that this younger Kasumi was fascinated by Ranma and wanted to know every little detail she could wring out of him.
Ranma sighed in defeat. "Alright, how about I tell it to you as a bed time story some time, will that work?" he offered her as a compromise. It would still be later, but Ranma hoped it would appease Kasumi-chan until he was ready to tell her the full story.
Kasumi pouted a little, but she did let him off the hook. "Okay, but you'd better not wait too long, or . . . or I'll tattle on you in my prayers!" the nine-year-old threatened him. She was trying her best to look serious, but Ranma detected a smirk though Kasumi-chan's mock scowl.
Ranma held up his hands playfully in surrender. "Ack! I'll talk, I'll talk! Anything but that, please!" he pleaded with Kasumi-chan in mock panic. He doubted it would do anything, except reveal Ranma's deception in a worse way than simply telling her the truth possibly could.
Mutually giggling at their own antics, the two of them quickly finished up what was left of the evening dishes. Although Ranma did have to put away a few of the dishes Kasumi-chan couldn't reach the spots for with her shorter height.
After they were done though, Ranma stepped out of the kitchen to find Soun and his two younger daughters bowing to him on their knees in the hallway. "Honored spirt, please accept the hospitality of my family's humble home in return for your generous aid and guardianship. My younger children and I have prepared a room for you to use if you have need of it. I pray that we have not offended you and that you will continue to protect me and my children," Mr. Tendo greeted him, bowing almost to the floor in respect.
Surprised beyond belief, Ranma almost fell down in shock at the unexpected treatment. He literally couldn't believe he was being treated like this. Yes, it was true that Kasumi had passed him off as some kind of guardian angel, but Ranma still hadn't been expecting anything like this from them. "Uh . . . you're forgiven," Ranma replied numbly, completely uncertain of what else he could say to this. He'd never been anyone's guardian spirit before after all.
"Thank you, guardian spirit. Shall I show you to your room, now?" Mr. Tendo responded, bowing his head to the floor a second time. To either side of him Nabiki and Akane mirrored their father's movements.
Ranma simply nodded in confused acceptance of what was happening. "Uh, sure. If you really want to," he replied clumsily. All three of the Tendo girls giggled quietly at Ranma's clumsy response, mortifying their father in the process. Oddly though, their laughter at Ranma's clumsiness actually made Ranma feel more comfortable instead of less, causing him to laugh with them.
Regaining as much of his composure as he could, Soun Tendo cleared his throat to regain his guest's attention. "If you would follow me then, guardian spirit, my daughters and I will show you to your room," he offered once he'd regained Ranma's attention.
Ranma smiled and nodded in acceptance this time, "okay," he replied casually, to the further amusement of Soun's daughters. "Oh, and none of this 'Guardian Spirit' stuff if you don't mind. I'd prefer it if you'd just call me by my name if it's all the same to you, Mr. Tendo," Ranma added as an afterthought.
To Ranma, and the girl's, growing amusement, Soun nodded respectfully in acknowledgment of the request. "As you wish, Ranma-sama," he replied solemnly, partially bowing as he said it.
His response caused Kasumi to giggle outright at her father's reply. "Daddy! Ranma doesn't like being called 'sama' either!" she warned her father between giggles. Much to her father's embarrassed chagrin, Ranma simply confirmed Kasumi's statement with a small nod.
Mr. Tendo looked a bit out of sorts at hearing this, but eventually accepted it anyway. "Very well, Ranma. If you'll follow me I'll show you your room now," he acknowledged, struggling to maintain whatever sense of dignity he could in front of Ranma and his own daughters.
Ranma was actually surprised to be led somewhere other than the room he'd once had upstairs. Instead, Ranma was led to the bedroom that had been Mr. Tendo's when Ranma had been here before, in the future. Inside the room though it looked as if it had been recently prepared for a long term guest. Which is exactly what had happened while Ranma was in the kitchen doing dishes with Kasumi. It was traditionally yet simply furnished, which actually meant there was more there than Ranma had originally been given the first time he'd arrived here.
In the center of the floor a nice looking futon had been laid out with a thick comforter. An oak vanity sat against one wall while a chest high dresser stood across from it. In the corner was a small desk with a decorative candle lantern at one end of it. Even the wall decorations were nicer than Ranma expected. True it wasn't anything fancy, but it was still a lot better than what Ranma had been expecting.
"Hey, this is really nice; thanks!" Ranma thanked his host, deciding that pretending to be a guardian angel might not be so bad after all. Besides it wasn't that much different from what everyone had expected out of Ranma before all this happened, only this time the job came with perks.
Then Ranma noticed the smell of incense, leading him to notice the mini-shrine just inside the door. He actually had to hide a frown at noticing it; it was a show of respect after all. Unfortunately it was also a reminder that they didn't think he was a living being either. 'Oh, well. It's still better than the way they treated me before', Ranma thought to himself in resignation.
"Good, I'm glad you approve. I'm afraid that with my poor departed wife gone, my family will need every blessing we can get," Soun started to reply solemnly, only to degenerate into tears at the mention of his dead wife. Ranma unexpectedly found himself having to comfort the distraught man as he went into one of his trademark crying jags.
Before he knew it, Ranma was at the center of a family huddle as the Tendo family cried themselves out in memory of the dead Mrs. Tendo. He wasn't comfortable being everybody's shoulder to cry on, yet Ranma couldn't bring himself to complain about it either. Instead, Ranma just tried to deal with it and comfort the crying family the best he could.
It was quite a while before they were all done crying though, and even longer before the four of them got done reminiscing over their departed mother. Yet when they were finally done, and ready for bed, Ranma felt more apart of the Tendo family than he'd ever felt about anything before. If the younger Tendo family could make him feel like this, then maybe playing guardian angel for them wouldn't be as much of a chore for Ranma as he was expecting it to be. Although that was an awfully big maybe.
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(Posted Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:42)
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